Piece of L.A. Library Sculpture That Vanished 50 Years Ago Turns up in Arizona

The Well of the Scribes, missing from Los Angeles Central Library since 1969, is seen in an undated photo. (Credit: L.A. Public Library via Los Angeles Times)

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For more than 40 years, a bronze sculpture called the Well of the Scribes graced the west lawn of the Los Angeles Central Library, sitting among the reflecting pools, gardens and Italian cypress trees.

Then, in 1969, the Well of the Scribes disappeared. The library had undergone a renovation that removed the west lawn, and the fate of the sculpture remained a mystery — until now.

Part of the sculpture has been discovered in the Arizona town of Bisbee, due to a bestselling author, a pair of California journalists and an eagle-eyed antiques dealer.

Los Angeles City Librarian John Szabo traveled to Arizona on Sept. 7 to examine the sculpture. “My heart was up in my throat,” he said. “I was absolutely breathless to be able to see it,” Szabo said.